Feeding and burning fine fuel.



W. D. WOOD & H. G. BARNHURST,

Patented June 5, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. D. WOOD & H. G. BARNHURST.

FEEDING AND BURNING FINE FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1915.

Patented June 5, 1917.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

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To-cll wkom'it may) concern: 3 v Be it known that we, WALTER D. W001) and HENRY Gr; Bannmmsr, citizens of the United States, and residents of Allentown, I

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Similar characters of reference designatein the county of Lehigh and State of. Penn sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding and Burning Fine Fuel, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our present in entlon refers to certaln new and useful improvementsinmechanism for feeding and burning fine or pulverized fuel such as coal dust, culm, or the-fine screenings from coal mining operations the invention being intended for use more particularly with the furnaces of-locomotives, although it maybe ap lied; for operation in conjunction with any d of a steam boiler or other device. @ne object among others which we have in view is to simphfy and 1mprove the construction and arrangement of the various parts sons to attain the best results witha given quantity'of fuel, and enable the' machine to be operated economically at all times. The invention, therefore, con:

sists essentially in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the var ous parts and in various detailsand peculiarities.there-' of, substantially as will be hereinafter more j fullydescribed and then pointed out'in the ensuing claims I In the accompanying drawing illustrating our invention: 5

Figure 1 is a side'elevation of our im-,

proved mechanism for feeding and burning fine fuel shown as applled to al tender and a locomotive, the latter being represented 'in outline only, and oertai'n parts of our im-- proved devicesbeing shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail cross-section on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a horizontal line 3, 3 ofl 'ig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view on the hue 4, t of Fig. 1. a I Y i Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the lever for operating the master control and other valves.

Fig. 6 isYan enlarged cross-sectional detail view on the line 6, 6 of Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a detailicross-section of the valves at the bottom of the device shown in Fig. 6.

speciflcation of Letters Patent.

sectional-plan on the Patented June a, rat a n ncauon ma June 22,1516. Serial no; 105,120.

8 is an end elevation of the mechanism for manually operating the feed screw. Fig. 9 is a detall sectional .front view of a superheater unit at the frontend of the lococorresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.-

the principles of our present invention, and i we reserve the liberty of varyingthe form of the same and of applying the invention to any kind of a tender anylform of locomotive, and in fact, any ind of a device where it is foundto be useful and practicable. It

must be borne in mind that the portion of the invention supported by the tender'is distinct from that ca'rried by the locomotive, or at, least sufficlently so toenable the train and its parts; to "operate on the track in the usual way wlilllQllt any injurious effect upon the mechanlsmt, of the fuel feeder and burner.

3 having anypreferred dimensions'and form of constructionand built after any pattern and design. In the bottom of this fuel container 3 is an opening 4: .below which is a horizontal feed screw 5' which takes the fuel as it. drops through the opening 4 and can ries it forward tov a point where it is delivered'into the means for carrying it to the fire box. This feed screw 5 is housed within a suitable boxin fiwhich protects it, besides cooperating wit conduit through which the pulverized fuel able connections, 10 being the valve rod, and 11a controlling clutch on shaft 9 operated by a lever 12. Steam is supplied to the engine 8 through the pipe 13 having suitable On the tender'l is a tank orfuel container ion :25 on the engine shaft 9, driven by suitball or other joints 14 at difierent points and leading over to the locomotive which supplies it with steam at the dome 15, said steam-supply pipe 13 having a valve 16 near the boiler, and having also a master control valve 17 provided with a handle 18, this handle 18 being so located that it canbe conveniently manipulated by the engineer or fireman .when in his -customary position within the cab of the locomotive. It will be understood, however, that other driving means located on the tender may be substituted for the steam engine 8. It is essential, however, that such engineor motor be located on the tender. Theifeed screw and its operating mechanism make a unitary arrangement with the tender, and the whole is self-contained and free to be moved about accordingly in one direction or the other en- ..tirely independently of the movement of the locomotive relatively to the tender. There are emergency times when it will be desired to operate the feed screw temporarily by hand, when for the time being there may be no supply of steam, air, or other agency for driving it, and accordingly I provide at the .end ofthehousing 6 a crank handle 19 (see point. This manual device. is'detachable,

and when in use is held by pins or screws or-other suitable devices. 1

The feed screw housing 6 is provided near its outermost endmn the underside with a downwardly projecting spout- 26 which projects into the upper open end of a hopper 27. This hopper is carried by a fuel pipe 28 of suitable shape and size supported on the locomotive 2 and leading'toward the firing chamber 33 or an extension 29 of said chamber, said fuel pipe 28 having a flaring mouth and forming with a cylinder 30 which surrounds a portionthereof, as also with the extension 29, a duplex nozzle which delivers commingled fuel and air under pressure to the firing chamber in a manner we shall presently more fully describe. Return ing again to the hopper 27 which receives the upper end of the fuel delivery spout 26, it will be observed that the top of said spout 27 is provided with a horizontal cover 31 which rests thereon, but is adapted to slide or oscillate more or less upon the top periphery of the hopper 27 This sliding cover 31 receives the spout 26 through a circular openmg in said cover, and a spring 32 (see Fig. 1) is coiled around the spout 26 and tennaaacaa sioned between the underside of the housing 6 (or what is equivalent, the collar on the end ofthe spout 26), and also the cover 31 so that said spring is always acting to hold the cover 31 tightly upon the upper end of the hopper 27, while said sliding cover through which the spout 26 projects aifords'a certain latitude of movement for the spout rela- .tively to the hopper and allows for the change in position of these parts which takes place when the engineand tender are vibrating in the consequence of the rapid running of the train. Such a loose connection, there-' fore, provides both for lateral and vertical movement of the related parts.

The locomotive fire box or chamber 33 is supplied with a fuel vehicle under strong air or steam pressure, which vehicle consists of'the' comminuted coal, or other substance mingled thoroughly with air in a'streamwhich is propelledsteadily and rapidly forward through the tube 28 until it enters the air or steam or other fluid or liquid under' pressure. In the present example of our inventlon the nozzle35 is carried by a pipe 36 .whioh receives superheated steam from the boiler, or air from an air supply,'said pipe having at'a point below the control valve 17" another valve 37- which has an arm 38 thereonthat engages a slot 39 in a sector 40 which is attached 'to and operated by the handle. 18 already referred to, said arm 38 having on the upper end thereof a nut 41 by means of which it can be securely clamped at any point in'the length of the slot 39. Thus it will be seen that by the operation of the handle 18 we not only control the passage of steam through the main supply pipe 13, but we also control the passage of the superheated steam (or air) through the'pipe 36 to the nozzle 35 belonging to the injector at the left hand end of the fuel delivery conduit 28; and furthermore it will be observed that a pipe or pipes 42 lead off from the pipe 36 at a point below the valve 37 so that superheated steam at the time it is being conveyed to the left hand end of the fuel pipe 28 may alsobe. carried to the sides of the box 30 surrounding the outlet end of the fuel pipe 28. Pipes 42- are provided with hand valves 43 which can be used to cut off the supply of pressure through. said pipe; and also pipe 36 is provided with a hand valve 44 which will cut. off the supply of superheated steam entirely. Air pressure can be-supplied when desired through pipes 42, by closing off the steam pipes and using the connectionthrough pipe 49 to furnish a supply of air, in this case valve 51 being closed as well as valve 44 and valve 50 being opened.

It will be noted that from the pipe 13 near. the upper portion'thereof, there leads off a pipe 45 having a valve 46, said pipe 45 running outwardly alongside of the locomotive and being used for making a connection with the round house blower line; also a pipe 47 having a hand valve 48 leads off from the pipe 13 near the valve 17 and is used for carrying steam to"' the smoke box superheater. A branch pipe 49 runs to an a1r reservoir and is provided above and below steam pipe 36 which it crosses with hand valves 50 and 51 which can beused for the purpose of cutting off or opening the passage way within said pipe to accomplish the results in view, as above stated in furnishing a supply of air to the burner. Also, we find it convenient to arrange in the cab where it can be easily seen, a manometer 52 having a pipe 53 which connects with the firing chamber or with the extension 29 at the inlet to said chamber so that the draft vacuum'in the firing chamber may be thereby indicated; and also said manometer is provided with another pipe 54 which connects with-the air blast within the fuel pipe 28 so that the manometer may by reason of the pressure in said pipe indicate the pressure of said blast and thereby the rate of combustion of the fuel being fed, but we lay no claim in the present application to this manometer which we term a compensated draft .ma-

nometer inasmuch as the same is covered by Letters Patent of Walter D. Wood, No. 1,197,881, dated September 12 1916.

The fuel passage 28, as we have indicated, leads into or through a surrounding cylindrical box 30, and said box 30 passes through a larger box 29 which forms an extension of the firing chamber 33. There is a space between the cylinder 30 and box 29 which affords room to admit outside air to the fire box. The box 30 is provided at opposite sides with atmospheric air inlet openings 55 controlled by upper and lower valves 56, 57,

which have each a pivot at its upper end so that they can swing freely. The pivot 58 of each lower valve 57 has thereon a crank arm 59 provided with a weight 60, and the two valves 56 and 57 at one side of each side of cylinder 30, also have their pivots provided with short arms 61 connected by a link 62 so that they may movein unison (see Fig. 2). The suction of the air from the stack vacuum through the locomotive will automatically open these valve leaves 56 and 57 drawing them inwardly and lifting them against the counterbalancing effect of the weight 60, and, obviously, as soon as the valves 6 draft relaxes, the weight will automatically close these valves. f

Further describing the cylinder 30 which surrounds the flaring end of the pipe 28, or Y at least 'that portion of the cylinder 30 which liesoutside of the fire box extension 29, it will be noted that said cylinder 30' is provided with laterally projecting extensions, tubular, square, or other shaped, 63, in the ends of which are the openings 55, in

connection with which the valve plates are arranged as we have already explained.

The extensions 63 are entered by the steam hicle as it emerges from the flaring mouth 65.

of the pipe 28. I

- At the bottom of the box or extension 29 is an opening having therein a couple of pivoted by means of pivots 68, one

of said pivots having an arm 69 provided with an adjustable weight 70, the adjustment permitting a change inthe power required to open the valves. On these pivots- 68 are also short arms'7l connected by a link 72 at one side of box 29. Also there is a weight 73 on a rod 74 attached to an arm 7 5 which is fastened to one of the pivots, the

function of this weight being to counterbalance" the weight of v the valves. These weights have the function v of closing the valves 67 automatically whenever thesuction'which opens them diminishes in power. In the fuel pipe 28'there is a cut-ofi' valve 76 (see Fig. 4) having a casing 77. Said valve is attached to an arm 78 pivoted at 79 and having a crank arm 80 to which is attached a weight 81, the purpose of which is to automatically open the valve 76 after the agency which closes'it ceases to act. This valve 7 6 is controlled by a chain 82 at- There is also a chain 83 or pair of them,-one

for each side, which operates the valves 56 and 57 arranged in connection with the cylinder 30, as We have already explained, and there is also a chain 84 which is connected to the levers belonging to the air valves 67, so that the latter can be closed by hand if desired. All these chains 82,83 and 84 are preferably attached at one end at a point 85 in the engineers cab, or at some other convenient place .where they can be readily laid hold of to be individually orjointly operated. Of course, in lieu of the'chains' other'flexible or suitable connections can be arranged for doing the same work. Also by the manipulation of the single lever 18 the supply of air or steam or other fluid to op erate the engine or motor 8 and also to propel the fuel current at the initial end and will be observed also that the air valves in connection with the extension '29, which we have seen are counterbalanced similarly to thelateral valves on the side of the nozzle also to add a mixing; agent thereto at the I can be regulated to open any desired amount delivery end, is suitably. controlled and.- properly measured; Thejfeed screw and the supply of steam "can be calibrated, into proper roportions at any.v time Yand the proper c anges or adjustments can be made at the valve during. operation and when the locomotive isr'unnlng in case'a diflerent operation is necessary so that one lever governs the whole operation from start to finish: It

cylinder can be arranged so that they by the action of the draft-from the stack and rected to thestack through a flexible alsothat this arrangement can be changed feeding screw can either'be led directly to" the atmosphere through pipe 86 or can be difor the purpose of augmenting draft i desired. With a combination and arrangement of parts similar to what we haveoutlined, no rubber or flexible pipes are required.

As the connections between the locomotiveand t e tank are made by means of a pipe or pipes aving ball joints, this eliminates to a great extent many features of other equipments which are now inoperation, which are very expensive.

It will be noticed, therefore,- that certain of our valve devices keep cold air from entering the fire box when the engine is' coasting or running light, although enough draft is created to open to valves, but as' no coal'is being fed there is no object allowing these to remain open, and, therefore, chains are required for closing them.

- Withreference to the device for manually "operating times itwill be understood that the sprocket wheels 20 and 22 (the latter has a short shaft with a square end for insertion into .the square opening in the shaft 23), the

the screw conveyer at certain chain 21 and the crank device 19 with their separate framework provide a complete re:

movable unit which has many advantages; It will be understood that although in many cases we have provided atmospheric valves arranged in pairs, that it is not essential to use pairs of valves, since in each one oaf the three cases mentioned, one large valve can do the work as Well as the two connected valves, and in many places we prefer single large valves. With reference to the superheated steam it may be said tlraifisuperheated steam will be regularly .leak, then valves 48 andv4=4 are closed, and

ipe

iary air or steam jets to said conduit for naaaesa employed in the operationofthe injectors 35 and 64' (that is, of course, after the locomotive fire box has been superheated to a high enough temperature) so that the gases ofcombustion will be hot enough to superheat the steam in the superheater unit.

vIn this case valve 151 is closed and valves 4:8 and 44 are open.- When starting up, or in case the superheater should spring. a

live steam not superheated is passed directly from the boiler by opening valve 51. Valve 50 of course is always closed except when air is being used.

A- superheater' unit for superheating the steam is located in the front end of the 10- comotive as indicated in the detail view in Fig. 9 where 91 represents such front end of the locomotive and a form of superheater unit from which passes the pipe 36 that leads to the fuel feeder and blast pipe, as already explained. a

Many changes in the precise-construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts may be made without exceeding the scope of our invention, and we reserve the liberty of changing and rearranging the parts as may be found to be desirable in practice. 1 Y

' Havingthus described our invention, what we claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a fuel receptacle, a feed screw, means for actuating said screw, said actuating means, screw and receptacle being supported in the same uni-. tary combination, a furnace, a' pipe for 'transporting'a-stream of fuel to said, furnace, anda nozzle at the end of said pipe,

nozzle.

, 2. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of afeed screw, a motor for driving it, means for supplying steam' from the locomotive to actuate said motor, a furnace, a delivery conduit for receiving the fuel from the screw and carrying it to the. furnace, counterbalanced automaticall operated air valves arranged in connection with. said conduit, and means for supplying auxilforcing an induced stream of air thereinto, and at the same time acting upon the aforesaid air valves.

3. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a feed screw a motor for driving it, a delivery conduit for receiving the fuel from the screw and carrying it to the furnace, counterbalanced automatically operated air'valves arranged in connection with said conduit, 130

. the hopper and carryin a nozzle for said conduit, automatic valves.

' naeaeae together with means for delivering airor steam'to said conduit for forcing an induced stream of air therein for the purpose of effecting an opening of the air valves.

4. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a feed screw, a motor for driving it, means for manually operating the feed screw when the motor is idle, a delivery conduit for carrying the fuel from the screw to the firing chamber, counterbalanced automatically operated air valves arrangedin connection with said condult, and means for delivering auxiliary steam or air jets at opposite sides of the conduit for forcing an induced stream or streams of air into the openings containing these air valves so as to simultaneously open the said air valves.

5. In an apparatus for feeding and burn-' ing fine fuel, the combination of a feed screw having a discharge spout, a hopper, a sliding cover thereon, resilient means tensioned between the feed screw and the cover, a delivery conduit for receiving the fuel and carrying it to the furnace, a nozzle for said delivery conduit, counterbalanced automatically operated air valves arranged in connection with said nozzle, and means for delivering air or steam to said conduit to force an induced stream of air so as to open said air valves.

6. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination with a feed screw and its motor, said'screw having a discharge spout, of a hopper entered by said spout, a sliding cover on said, hopper, yielding means for holding the cover tightly, a delivery conduit for receiving the fuel from it to the furnace,

for admitting air to said nozzle, and means for delivering auxiliary steam or air likewise to said nozzle, together with a valve controlling jointly theair or steam for the conduit and the steam for the screw actuating motor. j

7'. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a feed screw and its housing having a discharge spout, a hopper having an upper open end receiving said discharge spout, yielding means,

arranged on the top of said hopper and having an opening through which said discharge spout projects, a urnace, a pipe for carrying a stream of fuel from the hopper into the furnace, a cylinder surrounding said pipe and provided with lateral automatic valves, and means for carrying air or steam tothe end of said the sides of the cylinder.

8. In an apparatus for feeding and burnpipe and also to ing fine fuel, the combination of a tender, a

feed screw thereon having a discharge spout, a locomotive, a hopper carried thereby, means on the hopper through which the disthe cover to allow the discharge spout and hopper to oscillate relatively, a conduit for carrying the fine fuel stream to the furnace, an injector for steam or air at 'one end of said conduit, a cylinder surrounding the other end of said conduit and having air inlets at opposite sides, automatic valves controlling said air inlets, and air or steam injectors at opposite sides of said cylinder.

9. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination with a furnace, of a pipe for carrying a stream of fuel into the furnace, a cylinder surrounding said pipe, and provided with lateral automatic valves, means for carrying air or steam to the end of the said pipe and also to the sides of the cylinder.

10. In an apparatus for feedin and burning fine fuel, the combination 0 a conduit for carrying the fuel stream to the furnace, an injectorfor steam or air at one end of said conduit, a cylinder surrounding the other end of the conduit and having air inlets at opposite sides, automatic valves controlling said air inlets, air or steam injectors at opposite sides of said cylinder, and valve controlled pipes carrying air or steam to all of said injectors.

11. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a conduit for carrying the fuel stream to the furnace, a cylinder surrounding the other end of the conduit and having air inlets at opposite sides, automatic valves controlling said air inlets, air or steam injectors at opposite sides of said cylinder, valve controlled pipes carrying air or steam to all of said injectors, and a fire box extension having an opening therein to the atmosphere, and automatic valves controlling said opening whereby combustion air is admitted directly to the furnace.

12. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a fuel pipe, an injector in one end of said pipe for admitting air or steam, an outer cylinder surrounding said nozzle and having combustion air inlets, valves controlling said inlets, injectors within the inlets for supplying air or steam, means for admitting combustion air directly from the atmosphere to the furnace, means for supplying air or steam to said injectors, valve mechanism for controlling said latter means, and suitable connections for mechanically operating the various air valves.

13. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination with a locomotive, of. a fuel pipe leading to the fire also the automatic valves, together with means for jointly controlling the supply of air or steam for the end of the fuel pipe and also for the lateral supply.

14. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination with a loco-' motive having a fire box and a fuel pipe having a cylinder surrounding the end of said pipe and provided with lateral branches, the ends of which are provided with automatic valves operating in unison by suction and having counterweights for returning them to position, means for delivering air or steam under pressure at theend of the fuel pipe and also at the sides contiguous to the automatic valves, and an extension box on the firing chamber having an opening to the atmosphere provided with one or more automatic valves operating likewise by suction and provided with counterbalanced weights for returning them to position.

15. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a feed screw carrying fuel from one point to another, a motor for driving it, means for manually operating the feed screw when the motor is idle, a pipe for carrying a stream of fuel which it receivesfrom the feed screw onward into the furnace, a cylinder surrounding said pipe to form a nozzle, counterbalanced automatically operat ing air valves arranged in connection with said nozzle, and means for introducing auxiliary steam jetsat opposite sides of the nozzle so as to force an induced stream of air into the nozzle to open the air valves.

16. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination with a screw conveyer, having a shaft, of a manually operated device for said screw shaft, a pipe for receiving a stream of fuel from the screw and conveying it into the furnace, a

nozzle for said pipe, lateral automatic valves ou said nozzle, and means for carrying air or steam to said nozzle and also to the opposite end of said pipe.

17. Inan apparatus for'feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination of a feed screw, means for driving it, a delivery conduit for receiving the fuel from the screw and carrying it to the furnace, a nozzle for said conduit, pivoted air valves for said nozzle, means for counterbalancing said valves consisting of weights of proper size and distance from their pivotal points to determine the amount that the valves will be drawn open by the draft of the fire box and burner.

18. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine fuel, the combination with a vfurnace, of a pipe for carrying a stream of fuel thereto, a cylinder surrounding said pipe, and counterbalanced automatically operated air valves used in connection with said cylinder.

19. In an apparatus for feeding and burning fine-fuel, the combination of a conduit for carrying a fuel stream to the furnace, a cylinder surrounding one end of the same and having air inlets at opposite sides, counterbalanced automatically operated. air valves for said inlets, and means for introducing auxiliary steam jets at opposite sides for forcing an induced stream of air into the nozzle so as to efiect an opening of the 1 WALTER D. WOOD. HENRY G. BARNI-IURST. 

